Serving with the 9th Illician Lancers as of 3025, Ford achieved a large degree of notoriety for having seen considerable volume of combat without suffering as much as a scratch, despite frequently getting into disastrous situations with his 'Mech suffering hits which would have destroyed Atlases and Banshees. Ford maintained a superstitious attitude, surrounded himself with lots of lucky charms and trinkets, and insisted that it would cost him his luck if he allowed somebody else to do maintenance on his BattleMech, the lucky "Number Seven".[1][2][3]

A modified CGR-1A1 Charger, "Number Seven"'s small lasers were replaced with medium lasers, but the 'Mech never operated at optimal efficiency largely due to Ford's extremely limited technical skills and the ever increasing damage to its actuators and other systems suffered during his lucky escapes. [1][2]

Ford's luck finally ran out when the Illician Lancers were deployed in the Terran Corridor for a short time following the Fourth Succession War, coming under attack from Sorenson's Sabres in a retaliatory strike. Leaping from an embankment intent on performing a "Highlander Burial" on a Sorenson's Sabres Longbow, Ford was killed instantly when "Number Seven"'s gyro overreacted and caused it to faceplant into ground with tremendous force. [2][3]

Ford's "Number Seven" would be claimed by the Sabres, the near crippled 'Mech sent to Galedon V for an extensive refit, subsequently rebuilt from the ground up to the slower but more heavily armed CGR-1A9 variant (ID number: CGR1A0ALSX9). Assigned to BusosenshiAndrew Martin, despite the work performed on Ford's former 'Mech, "Number Seven" still suffered from no end of minor glitches and malfunctions. Ultimately the 'Mech would disappear from the Sabres' roster sometime after 3049, one rumour insisting that the pilot-less "Number Seven" "accidentally" fell out of a DropShip during a combat drop drill. [2][3][4]